


Family

by FanficAllergy, RoseFyre



Series: Katniss the Vampire Slayer [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Minor Character Death, Souled Vampire(s), Supernatural Age Gap, Vampire Slayer(s), Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-15 02:41:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7202987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanficAllergy/pseuds/FanficAllergy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseFyre/pseuds/RoseFyre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss and company are finally starting to settle into a new life in Panem and come to terms with what happened at the Reaping.  But that doesn't mean that life's any easier for the Slayer.  Katniss has school, family, and slaying duties on top of trying to attempt some sort of social life with the souled vampire, Peeta.  It doesn't help that her little sister has turned up the bratty quotient and that a new threat is looming on the horizon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Time to Say Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The Hunger Games Trilogy is property of Suzanne Collins. Buffy: The Vampire Slayer is property of Mutant Enemy. This is a parody fanwork by fans for fans.

 

Previously on Katniss the Vampire Slayer:

 

_ * _

 

_ “I don’t see why we had to move.”  _

 

_ “I know you don’t like change, but think of Prim.  This is going to be good for her.  She--” _

 

_ “Yeah, she doesn’t have to be the Firestarter’s baby sister.” _

 

_ * _

 

_ “Don’t give me that BS, sweetheart.  You’re a Slayer.” _

 

_ “How do you know that?” _

 

_ Haymitch let out a short bark of laughter.  “Cause I’m your Watcher.” _

 

_ * _

 

_ From behind a shelf of books, Gale Hawthorne stepped out, an expression of confusion marring his face.  “What’s a Slayer?” _

 

_ * _

 

_ Caesar opened his arms expansively.  “Why do you think I run a club?  I get more than my fill every night!  I’ve even had a witch I know put a little spell on the place to encourage people to take it outside.” _

 

_ * _

 

_ “Tick Tock.  Tick Tock.  Tick Tock.  Be seeing you.  Be seeing you, Katniss.  Take care of yourself.  Tick Tock!” _

 

_ * _

 

_ Prim frowned.  “You okay?” _

 

_ “I’m fine.  Go back inside.  You know how Mom and Dad feel when you’re out after dark.”   _

 

_ “I’m fourteen, I’m not a baby anymore!  I’m only a year younger than you!” _

 

_ “You’re still my little sister.” _

 

_ * _

 

_ “Will you stop with the whole Mister Mysterious thing, Mr. Cryptic?” _

 

_ “I prefer Peeta to Mr. Cryptic.”  _

 

_ * _

 

_ “You’re a vampire!  I’m the Slayer!  Doesn’t that make us mortal enemies?”   _

 

_ “Not for me.  Never for me.” _

 

_ * _

 

_ “I’ve got a soul, Katniss.” _

 

_ * _

 

_ “You’re my daughter, Katniss,” he explained, warmth in his eyes.  “Of course I want you to have friends and be happy.  I’m not about to stop you from having a life just because you happen to be the Slayer.” _

 

_ * _

 

_ “A vampire with a soul running a bakery.  How weird is that?” _

 

_ * _

 

_ “Great.  We’re about to face imminent death.  Just what I always wanted to do on Friday night.” _

 

_ “Well, it’s one hell of a first date.” _

 

_ “Your idea of a date is really skewed.” _

 

_ “Vampire.” _

 

_ “Don’t remind me.  And it’s not a date!” _

 

_ * _

 

_ Delly sneered, “Oh, if it isn’t the Slayer, come to save your friend?   You’re too late, just like you were too late to save me.  Watch as one more friend gets crossed off your list.”  She squeezed her hand harder and Madge clawed at Delly's arm, trying in vain to get any air. _

 

_ Behind Madge, Gale shook his head and rose to his feet, something clutched in his hand.  He turned, seeing Madge’s face turning red and then blue as Delly slowly shook the life out of her.  Not waiting to see any more, Gale acted, plunging the stake that Katniss had thrown into his girlfriend’s back.   _

 

_ The vampire whirled to stare at Gale with betrayal in her eyes.  “But baby, I lov--” _

 

_ She crumpled into dust. _

 

_ * _

 

_ “Why doesn’t it feel like the right thing?” Gale asked, his voice stricken. _

 

_ Peeta reached out and clasped the young man on his shoulder.  “Because you’re human.” _

 

**oOo**

 

Part One -- Time to Say Goodbye

 

**oOo**

 

In the movies, funerals always took place in the rain.  

 

Clearly, the screenwriters for this film had never been to Southern California.  The day Delly Cartwright was laid to rest was as sunny as the dead girl’s personality.  Katniss thought it was appropriate, all things considered, even if it wasn’t a movie director’s dream.

 

After the minister finished speaking, Katniss made her way over to where Gale and Madge were standing, looking down at the empty coffin.  “Hey,” she murmured, not really sure what to say.  ‘I’m sorry’ just didn’t seem to be enough.

 

“It was a lovely funeral,” Madge offered.  “And, look, so many people came.  Delly would’ve liked that.”

 

Gale nodded his head mechanically.

 

“Are you planning on going to the reception after?” Madge asked.

 

“I killed her,” Gale said.

 

Madge froze.  

 

Katniss stepped in.  “No, you didn’t.  We’ve been over this.  It wasn’t your fault, Gale.”

 

“Yeah, well, tell that to Delly.”  He glared at the Slayer, tears welling up in his eyes.  “No, wait.  We can’t.  ‘Cause she’s dead!”

 

Katniss opened her mouth to say something, then stopped.  What could she say?  Gale was right.  Delly was dead.  But she’d died long before Gale slipped the stake into her.  Unfortunately, there was no way she could convince the young man of that.  She needed help.  An ally.  Her eyes met Madge’s, pleading for her to step in.

 

Reaching out with one hand, the blond girl placed it on Gale’s forearm.  “You need to stop beating yourself up.  For Delly’s sake.  She wouldn’t want you to be like this.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“I don’t know.”  Madge shrugged.  “All Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire.”

 

That drew a snort of laughter from him.  “Yeah.  I guess.  Delly always hated Brad Pitt.”

 

Pressing her advantage, Madge said, “Yeah, so that means you need to stop acting like him.”  She poked him in the chest.  “And if that means I’ve gotta keep poking you,” she demonstrated again, “I’m gonna.”

 

Gale captured Madge’s hands to prevent her onslaught.  “Thanks, guys.  I’m glad you came.”

 

Katniss smiled.  Crisis averted. 

 

From behind the group, a girl’s voice spoke out.  “Great.  Can we leave yet?”

 

Casting her eyes heavenward, Katniss let out a groan.  “Prim!”

  
**oOo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN:  
> Written: 7/28/15  
> Revised: 4/25/16
> 
> Starting with every actual new episode, just like in a TV show, we’ll have relevant snippets in the “Previously on” section. This way, if you’re joining us as a new reader, you don’t HAVE to go back and read the previous episodes... although we highly encourage you to do so, as it will be very confusing if you don’t. Also as a reminder, the first and last chapters of each episode will be short, just like if it were on TV. 
> 
> And fair warning: there are spoilers here. We are not strictly following Buffy canon (since simply rehashing all 144 episodes would be both long and boring), but will be grabbing plots and backgrounds and characterizations as we need them. That means you may unintentionally be spoiled for all seven seasons of Buffy, all five seasons of Angel, and all three Hunger Games books. We won’t outright state which parts are taken from which episode, but we will be using elements of later seasons as well as earlier ones. As both Buffy and Angel have been finished for over a decade and the Hunger Games trilogy has been out for over five years, we believe it is your responsibility if you want to remain spoiler-free. Therefore, this is the only warning you will get: read at your own risk!
> 
> Up Next: Part Two -- Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
> 
> Let us know what you think!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

**oOo**

 

“Why are we here?”  

 

“Asking the existential questions now, huh, duckling?”

 

“Dad!  I mean, Katniss I get.”  Prim surveyed the funeral, not even bothering to hide her boredom.  “But why do we have to be here?”

 

“Because it’s the right thing to do.  Lots of people died in the Arena.  Even your mom’s partner is here,” Mr. Everdeen said, pointing toward a handsome blond man in his late twenties with a wide smile, broad shoulders, and trim waist.  

 

Prim regarded him, unimpressed.  “Yeah, and why is he here?  It’s not like he has any kids or knew the Cartwrights.”

 

“What’s the real problem, Prim?”  Mr. Everdeen’s voice had the same pained tone all parents of teenagers get when they’re starting to regret not using a condom.  “You’re being rude, which isn’t like you.” 

 

To her credit, Prim flinched slightly at the rebuke.  “It’s just… Rue and I had plans.”

 

“I see,” Mr. Everdeen said in a tone that said anything but.

 

“We wanted to go to the mall.”

 

“Uh huh.”  The silence that followed was chiding.

 

Prim squirmed a bit under her father’s steely gaze.  “I’m sorry.”

 

Her father reached out and tugged on his daughter’s hair.  “It’s okay, duckling.”

 

“I wish you’d stop calling me that,” Prim whined, swatting at his hands.  

 

“Aw, but you were so cute, following Katniss around everywhere like a little duckling trotting after its mother, saying ‘Wait ‘ats!  Wait ‘ats!’”

 

Glancing around to see if anyone who mattered had overheard, the girl hissed, “I’m not a toddler anymore!”

 

“You’ll always be my little girl.”  He wrapped his arm around her.

 

“Dad!” Prim exclaimed, accepting the hug anyway.

 

“Go.”  He waved his hands at her.  “Be social.”

 

Prim made a little face, walking away from her father.  She surveyed the room before heading towards where her sister, Madge, and Gale were standing in one corner, away from the rest of the reception.  Taking a deep breath, Prim marched up to Gale and said, “I’m sorry for your loss.  And I’m sorry for how I acted back at the graveyard.”

 

Gale nodded his head, accepting her apology.

 

“So… tell me about Delly?” Prim asked, her voice uncertain.  

 

A sad smile crossed Gale’s face.  “Delly was… perfect.  I knew it from the first moment I met her.”

 

“When was that?” Katniss asked curiously.

 

“I was four.  Mom took me to the library, mostly to pick up some books for herself, and left me wandering around the children’s section.  I was bored, and books didn’t interest me, so I spent my time pulling books off the shelves until one of the librarians spotted me and I took off running. I didn’t get very far before I slammed into a girl about a year younger than me with her nose buried in  Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs .  That was Delly.  Reading a book no three year old had any business being able to read.  She took one look at me and smiled, and I was a goner.”  His eyes went far away as he recalled the meeting.  “Spent the rest of the time with her reading me stories until my mom came and got me and I had to go home.  Never was another girl for me.”

 

Madge popped in.  “Yeah, Delly and I always laughed about how Gale threw such a fit when he found out he wasn’t gonna be able to go to school in the same year as her.”  She leaned forward, her voice conspiratorial.  “He deliberately got himself held back a year just so he could be with Delly.”

 

Katniss and Prim both looked up at Gale with questioning expressions on their faces.  

 

The muscular boy just shrugged.  “Guilty as charged.  It worked out in the end, anyway.”

 

Madge looked at her watch.  “I should probably get going.  Want me to drive you home?” she asked her best friend.

 

The boy looked around the reception, then nodded his head.  “Yeah.  Let me say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright first, then we can go.”

 

“I’ll go with you,” Katniss said.

 

Prim hung back, heading towards the buffet table with its spread of hor d'oeuvres.  She picked up a plate and started down the line.  She wasn’t really hungry, more looking for something to keep her occupied until she could get out of there.  Next to her, two older women were gossiping.

 

“I feel so sorry for the Cartwrights!”

 

“Me too!  Can you believe?”  The woman’s voice lowered to a whisper.  “Having your daughter set on fire by gang members and there’s nothing left, just a pile of ash?”

 

The other woman shook her head.  “I don’t know why they decided to go with a coffin.  It’s not like there’s anything in it.”

 

“Don’t you know?”  The other gossip sounded positively gleeful.  “The Coins made their fortune in funerary services.  And the Cartwrights were able to get a big discount on account of, well, you know.”

 

Prim wrinkled her forehead and set her plate down, uneaten, weaving her way back to where she’d left her father.  “Please tell me we can go soon.  The people here are weird.”

 

Mr. Everdeen glanced at the clock on the wall.  “Yeah, we can go.  Let’s go get your mother and sister.”

 

Mrs. Everdeen was standing next to her business partner, chatting about the number of kids with dust allergies.  Katniss was standing with her, looking like she wanted to be anywhere else.  As her father approached, the elder Everdeen daughter shot him a grateful look.  

 

Mr. Everdeen smiled, placing a small peck on his wife’s cheek in greeting.  “Come on, Olive.  We should get going before the girls turn into pumpkins.”

 

“And that’s my cue.  See you tomorrow, Gloss.”

 

“Should I bring anything on Saturday?”

 

“Just yourself.”

 

Dr. Gloss Benjamin smiled.  “Great.  See you at six.”

 

As the Everdeens walked away, Mr. Everdeen leaned down and whispered, “What was that about Saturday?”

 

“Oh.  I didn’t tell you?”  Mrs. Everdeen seemed surprised.  “I invited him over for dinner.”

 

Mr. Everdeen pinched the bridge of his nose.  “No.  You didn’t.”

 

**oOo**

 

“I was waiting for you to come out.”

 

Katniss dropped the garbage bag, spilling coffee grounds and takeout containers over the porch.  Not caring about the mess, the Slayer snatched up a used chopstick and whirled to face the unseen speaker.  “Dammit, Peeta!  Stop sneaking up on me like that!”

 

“I’m sorry.  Here, let me help you with that,” he said, coming over and crouching down next to the broken bag.

 

“What are you doing here anyway?”  

 

“I told you.”  He looked up, meeting her eyes.  “I was waiting for you.”

 

Struggling to contain the rush of warmth that flowed through her at his words, Katniss knelt down across from him.  “But why?”

 

“Patrol.  You, me, vampires, poof.”  Peeta mimed slaying vampires with another dirty chopstick.  He smiled at her.  “It could be fun.”

 

Katniss desperately wanted to say yes.  Not just because Peeta was hot in a three alarm chili kind of way but also because it would save her from what was coming.  But she’d made a promise to her dad not to abandon him tonight.  “I can’t.  I have plans.”

 

A flash of some emotion flickered behind Peeta’s blue eyes.  “What kind of plans?”

 

“Dinner plans.”

 

“With who?”  The tone of his voice changed slightly.

 

He was jealous, Katniss realized.  She’d have to have a talk with him about that later, but right now it was more important to dispel his erroneous assumptions.  “Oh no, not like that.  Family dinner.  Mom’s having her practice partner come over to do the whole ‘meet the family’ thing and I have to make an appearance.”

 

Peeta’s shoulders relaxed.  “So should I come back later?”

 

“That’d be good.  I don’t expect him to stay any later than ten, and even if he does, I can probably duck out by then saying I’ve got homework or something.”

 

“Do you have homework?”

 

“I’m a high school sophomore, of course I have homework.  It’d be the end of the world if teachers didn’t assign homework.”  She gave Peeta a small half-smile.  “In fact, I think that’s one of the seven signs of the apocalypse.”

 

“Anything I can do to help?”

 

“Yeah, no.  Unless for some reason you can write my paper about the French and Indian War or do my geometry homework, I’m pretty sure the answer’s no.”

 

Peeta grinned.  “Geometry’s out, but I can probably help with the history.  I was alive during the French and Indian War.  Saw it firsthand.”

 

“You were?”  Katniss’s mind reeled at the thought.  She’d known he was old.  He’d confirmed it soon after they’d met.  It was one thing to know he was old, it was another to really think about everything he’d seen.  Everything he’d experienced.  She felt like a child next him.  An inexperienced, uninteresting child.  Just what did he see in her?  Still, the pragmatic part of her argued, he could be a good source of information.  History suddenly seemed a whole lot more interesting now that she knew someone it had affected.  

 

“Well, not technically,” Peeta continued, seemingly unaware of the turmoil his words were causing.  “I was undead at the time.”

 

“So what was it like?” she asked, trying to quell her insecurities.  Yay sense! 

 

“Um, surprisingly uneventful,” the blond vampire admitted, shoving trash into the ruined bag.  “There wasn’t a whole lot of action down in Virginia.  Most of the fighting took place out on the frontiers.”

 

“Then why was it important?” she asked, exasperated.

 

Peeta stood, the tattered remains of the garbage bag in his hand.  Cradling it so it wouldn’t spill more, he dumped it into the plastic bin over by the garage.  “Because the results afterwards were part of what led to the American Revolution.”  He glanced back over his shoulder at her.

 

Flushing slightly, Katniss hurried over to throw out a stray Chinese food container.  “Yeah, that is kind of important.  Go French.”

 

Peeta groaned.  “The French and the Indians were on one side, the British were on another.”

 

“But then why do they call it the French and Indian War?”  The name didn’t make any sense.  

 

“I don’t know,” Peeta shrugged.  “Back then, we called it the Fourth Intercolonial War or, after it was over, the Seven Year’s War.  Didn’t really matter, except it was just another stupid war England made us pay for.”

 

“Did you actually fight in the American Revolution?”

 

“I ate a redcoat or two, does that count?”

 

Katniss shook her head.

 

“Then no.  I didn’t.  Not that I really cared all that much about the revolution.  I was evil at the time, so…” he trailed off with a helpless shrug.

 

After a moment of awkward silence, Katniss glanced at the lit up windows of the house.  “I should probably get back inside,” she said, regret in her voice.  “I left Prim alone with the oven.  That’s not always a good thing.”  

 

“So your sister’s a horrible cook?” 

 

“Not exactly.  She’s fine, so long as it doesn’t require an oven.  For some reason, any food she puts in one comes out burnt or raw.  There’s no middle ground.”

 

“Sounds like you should get going,” Peeta laughed.  “See you at ten?”

 

“Sounds like a date.”

 

If anything the smile on his face got even bigger.  “You said it, not me.” 

 

“Dammit, Peeta!”

 

**oOo**

 

“Well, Olive, you’ve got a lovely home.  Thank you for inviting me over to share your family dinner.” 

 

Katniss struggled to keep a snort of disbelief from bursting out.  Her house was pretty nice, but it wasn’t a showpiece.  It’s not like any of them ran an art gallery.  They didn’t need to impress anyone with how fancy or posh their house was.  And family dinner wasn’t really a thing.  Not with two working parents and two teenagers, one of whom was the Slayer.  Everyone pretty much did their own thing.  Only on holidays or when one of them was trying to impress someone did they put away the plastic silverware.

 

“Sorry about the roast.”  Her mother motioned to the roast sitting at a place of honor in the center of the table.    

 

“No, no.  I like my meat rare.”  Gloss took a bite to emphasize his point.  “Besides,” he said around a mouthful of meat, “you can always cook something a little more, it’s a bit hard to cook it less.”

 

“See, that’s what I always say!” Prim interjected.  “I told you you should trust me.”

 

Mrs. Everdeen gave her youngest daughter a look.  “Yes, Prim, we know.”

 

“So, what made you decide to become a pediatrician?” Mr. Everdeen asked, trying to deflect what was turning into a battle of wills between his wife and daughter.

 

“I’ve always liked kids.  It’s a lot less stressful than being a surgeon, and I’ve become pretty good at telling when a kid’s faking being sick and when they’re actually sick.  Whereas with adults, it’s a lot more complicated.  Kids pretty much come in with the same three things: strep throat, flu, or stomach flu.”  He laughed, showing off perfectly even white teeth.  “It makes my life easy!”

 

“So are you seeing anyone?”  Prim leaned forward, setting her elbows on the table.

 

“Primrose!  That’s none of your business.”  Mrs. Everdeen’s eyes darted to her practice partner.  “You don’t have to answer that.”

 

“What!  Katniss is seeing someone!”   
  


Surprised to be drawn into the conversation, Katniss exclaimed, “What?  No I’m not!”

 

“Then who was the hunky blond?” her sister demanded, a triumphant expression on her face.  “Don’t think I didn’t notice you two flirting over the trash, because I did.”

 

“That was a private conversation!”

 

“Uh huh.  So who is he?”

 

“Yes, Katniss.  Who is he?”  Her father’s voice sounded like overprotective sitcom fathers everywhere.  If it weren’t her life, Katniss would find it funny.  Just like Prim was.  

 

“He’s no one!” she hurried to explain.  “Just a friend.”

 

“A boyfriend?”

 

“No!  Peeta’s just a friend!”

 

“Oooh, Peeta.”  Prim made kissy noises.  “Katniss and Peeta sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S--”

 

“Shut up, Prim, or so help me--”

 

“Katniss!”  

 

Her mother’s tone brought the Slayer up short.  “What, Mom?”  She pointed at Prim.  “She started it!”  Why was she getting into trouble?  She was just defending herself.

 

“We have a guest,” Mrs. Everdeen hissed.

 

“No, no, it’s okay.”  Gloss waved off the argument.  “I’ve got a sister too, and we… don’t get along.”

 

“Oh?”  Her father leaped on the out Gloss gave him.  “Is she your older sister, younger sister?”

 

“Twin sister, actually.  And somehow that makes it worse.”  The handsome doctor let out a bark of laughter.  “It’s like we share a bond we can never quite escape, no matter how much I try.  No worries, I get it.”  He turned toward Prim.  “So, Prim, have you given any thought to what you want to do when you grow up?  Maybe become a doctor like your mom or a librarian like your dad?”

 

“Nope.  I’m gonna be a vet.”  The girl preened under the man’s attention.  Katniss resisted the urge to roll her eyes; that’d just start another round of arguments.  

 

“Our Primrose here has quite the stuffed animal collection.”

 

“Mom!”

 

“What?  It’s true.”

 

“You don’t have to say it like that!”  Prim sounded horribly offended.

 

Katniss couldn’t help but smirk a little.  Now her sister was the one getting the parental embarrassment.  Turnabout was fair play.

 

To his credit,  Gloss just rolled with it.  “Really?  So which is your favorite one?”

 

“Lady.”

 

“Lady?”  

 

Prim didn’t answer, so Mr. Everdeen stepped in.  “Lady’s a stuffed goat Katniss got Prim for her eleventh birthday.  Even picked out a pale pink ribbon to go with it.”

 

“Ah.  I see.”

 

“Lady might be my favorite stuffed animal, but she’s not as good as Buttercup.”

 

“Buttercup?” Katniss and Gloss asked at the same time.

 

“He’s my cat.”

 

“We have a cat?” Katniss asked.  “Since when?”

 

“Since a few days ago,” Mrs. Everdeen answered.  “Prim found him cowering under the stairs.  Ugliest kitten I’ve ever seen.”

 

“He is not ugly!  He just needed a bath!”  Prim’s voice was indignant.  Offended.    

 

This time Katniss did roll her eyes.  Seriously.  Sticking up for a cat.  It was just a cat.  Not like it cared what it looked like.   

 

“So how old is this cat?” Gloss asked, interrupting the Slayer’s internal rant.

 

“The vet says he’s maybe two, three months old.  It’s hard to tell, he’s so little.”

 

Katniss shook her head.  “Was anyone gonna tell me about this?”

 

“We’re telling you now,” her mother answered, her tone warning Katniss to drop it.

 

Katniss sat back in her chair.  Fine, she’d stop.  For now.    

 

Unfortunately, Gloss didn’t seem to get the same memo.  “So where is this famous Buttercup?”

 

“In the basement,” Prim answered, making googly eyes at the doctor.  Great, just what everyone needed: her sister getting a crush on their mother’s partner.  Their mother’s young, attractive, single partner.  “Mom doesn’t want him running around the house until he’s completely dewormed and doesn’t have fleas anymore.”

 

Gloss reached out to pat Prim’s hand.  “Probably for the best.”

 

The girl looked like she’d just been touched by one of the Backstreet Boys.  “He’s a good kitty.  He’s already caught a mouse.”

 

Katniss couldn’t keep silent anymore.  “Great.  Just what we need.  More vermin.  I guess he can stay, looks like he can earn his keep.”

 

“Oh thank you, Katniss.”  Prim’s starstruck expression dissolved into annoyance.  “Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I live for your approval and permission.  As if you’re the head of the family and not Mom and Dad!”

 

“Whatever.”  She was done with this dinner.  If Prim wanted to make a fool of herself, it wasn’t Katniss’s problem.  The Slayer turned to her parents.  “Can I go?  I’ve got homework.”

 

“But we haven’t even had dessert,” her mother protested.

 

“I’m not hungry.”

 

“You just want to see Peeta.” 

 

Katniss loved her sister but sometimes she made it so hard!  Especially when she was being a brat and pushing her buttons… even if she was right.  “I do not!” she lied.  “I really have homework and I’m supposed to go out tomorrow with Gale and Madge, and I don’t want to wait until the last minute.”

 

“It’s okay, honey.  You can go,” her father acquiesced over her mother’s glare.  “I know you’ve got a lot to do.”

 

Katniss met her father’s eyes.  He understood.  The work of a Slayer was never done.

  
**oOo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN:  
> Written: 10/1/15  
> Revised: 4/25/16
> 
> About Prim’s behavior, yeah she’s a lot more bratty here than she is in canon. That’s deliberate. Let’s just say there are reasons for it and it’s also why we changed her age to be closer to Katniss’s. We love Prim, part of the fun of doing this is showing how and why certain characters end up the way they do and right now we’re setting a lot of baselines. 
> 
> Up Next: Part Three -- Flower Power
> 
> Let us know what you think!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Flower Power

**oOo**

 

The Arena was closed, had been closed ever since the failed Reaping.  A handwritten sign in loopy scrawl proclaimed the club would be back following much needed renovations.  

 

Renovations was pretty much a euphemism for complete reconstruction and overhaul.  The front door to the club was new, replaced in the last few days, but plywood still covered several of the windows.  To one side of the door lay a pile of pictures, knickknacks, candles, and flowers, a memorial to all those who’d lost their lives that night.

 

In front of the memorial knelt Gale Hawthorne, his fingertips lightly caressing the smiling face of his now dead girlfriend, Delly.  Guilt was etched on his handsome features.  Clutched in his left hand was a bouquet of flowers.  Not the typical roses, but other less haughty blooms: daisies, heather, lavender, and carnations.  Flowers Delly’d liked when she was alive. 

 

“You’re still here,” a weathered voice said from behind the young man.

 

He didn’t turn to look at the speaker.  “I come here every Friday.”

 

“I know.  I was talkin’ about the length of time you was staying.  Not the days you was comin’.  It’s getting longer and longer each time.  Soon, I fear, you’ll never leave.”  There was a hint of disapproval in her tone.

 

“It’s only been two weeks.”

 

“And soon it’ll be three, then four.  Soon enough, a whole year’ll pass.”

 

“Leave me alone.”  Gale clenched his fists. 

 

The old woman shrugged.  “What you got there?”

 

“What’s it look like?”

 

“Like you’re bringing gifts to your girl.”  She motioned to the bouquet.  “Interesting choice of flowers you picked.  You know what they mean?”

 

He finally turned to look at her, a frown on his face.  “No, they’re just flowers.”

 

“Flowers have power in them, just like people.”  She tilted her head.  “Just like you.  You combine the right ingredients and you get a spell.”

 

“Like… magic?”  Gale sounded intrigued.  Then he shook his head as if shaking off a vision or a bad dream.  “I don’t believe in magic.”

 

The old woman laughed.  “Lord above!  Your girl gets turned into a vampire and your new friend’s the Slayer and you don’t believe in magic?”  She bent at the waist and peered into his face.  “You sure you ain’t wearin’ blinders, boy?”

 

“Who are you?”

 

“Name’s Sae.  Caesar asked me to re-ward his place for the grand reopening.”

  
“Re-ward?”  His lips stumbled over the unfamiliar word.

 

“Cast a spell.  Burn a few herbs, chant a few words.”  She wriggled her gnarled fingers in his face.  “You know, witchy stuff.”

 

“You’re a witch?”  Light dawned in his eyes.  “Aren’t you that old woman that works at Mellark’s?”

 

“That’d be me, but I do more than just bake bread, boy.  I’m a witch.”  She paused, regarding him solemnly.  “You could be too, you know.”

 

Gale just stared at her in shock.

 

**oOo**

 

For a sleepy California town, Panem was positively bustling the Saturday morning before Thanksgiving.  It was as if everybody and their sister decided they needed to get the pre-holiday shopping in right that instant, and promptly descended on Main Street in droves.

 

And, where the crowds went, the ne’er-do-wells followed.  Kids looking to score a five fingered discount while store clerks were distracted.  Pickpockets using the jostling crowds to lift wallets and other valuables.  Down on their luck people panhandling, hoping the holiday spirit would extend to them.

 

Katniss was grateful the sun hadn’t set just yet, because then there’d be an extra unwelcome addition: vampires looking to take advantage of the happy meals on legs.  

 

If she didn’t have to, Katniss wouldn’t be there.  She’d never been a big fan of crowds.  Too much could go wrong in a crowd.  Too many innocents could get hurt.  But unfortunately, she and Prim had an errand to run.

 

“I can’t believe it costs fifty bucks to have flowers delivered to Mom’s work!” Prim groused, tucking her now-empty butterfly bedecked wallet into her purse as they left the shop.  “That was the last of my babysitting money too.  And all of my clients are back in L.A.!”

 

Katniss shrugged.  Ever since she’d become the Slayer, babysitting had kind of gone out the window.  She’d been forced to use what was left of her birthday money on the apology gift.  “Yeah, but we’re the ones who screwed up her dinner.  I don’t relish being grounded for the rest of high school.  There are things I need to do.”  Like saving the world, she thought to herself.  “And if it means our allowances are reinstated after this, it’s worth the money.”  

 

“Yeah, I guess.  It’d be nice to get paid for doing chores again.”  Prim tilted her head, narrowing her eyes.  “But why do you need the money?  It’s not like you spend it on anything.  You’re the biggest Scrooge ever to Scrooge.”

 

“I like stuff!” Katniss protested.  She did!  She had plenty of stuff!  She’d even started on her Christmas list… which admittedly had cash as her number one choice of gifts.  “...But I like money too.”

 

Prim smirked at her sister.  “You are so Scrooge McDuck.  Next thing you know, you’re gonna be diving into your pile of gold and swimming through it!”

 

“I’m not the one who still watches cartoons!  I’ve got bigger things to worry about, like vamp-- boys!”  Katniss covered quickly.  “I mean boys!”

 

“Mmm, boys.”  Her little sister’s voice was teasing.  “Do you mean all boys or one boy in particular?”

 

Heat threaded Katniss’s cheeks.  “Knock it off!”

 

“Ooh, I’m right.  It’s one boy.  Is it Peeeeeeeta?”

 

“Stop it, Prim.”  Katniss shook her head.  “When did you become such a brat?”

 

“I am not a brat!”  Prim side-stepped a young family with a gaggle of kids.  “You just became a bitch!”

 

The parents glared at the two girls, ushering their brood away from the teens.

 

Katniss groaned.  Now she was going to get a reputation as a corrupter of the innocent and it was all Prim’s fault!  “Ugh!  You are so annoying!”

 

“You were annoying first!”  

 

“Why can’t you shut up?” Katniss cried, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.  Several shoppers glared at her.  A disheveled panhandler looked up from his spot up against one of the shops.  The Slayer ignored them all.  She was sick of Prim pushing her buttons.  “We never used to fight like this!”

 

Placing her hands on her hips, Prim mimicked her sister’s stance.  “Because you always treat me like a baby!”

 

“You’re my little sister.  It’s my job to look after you!”

 

“No, it’s not!  You’re not-”

 

“You’re not real!”  The panhandler jumped in front of the younger girl.  “YOU’RE NOT REAL!”

 

The blonde flinched from the ranting man.  “Get away from me!”  Prim’s voice sounded panicked.  “Katniss!”

 

The man didn’t listen.  “What are you?  You don’t exist!  What are you doin’-”

 

Katniss shoved the guy several feet into a lamppost.  “Get away from my sister, you creep!”

 

Stumbling slightly, the man turned his eyes to the Slayer.  He was insane, Katniss thought to herself, utterly and completely insane.  Instead of doing what he was told, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife.  

 

The stakes just got higher.  

 

“Oh my god!”  Her sister’s voice was high-pitched, terrified.

 

Katniss couldn’t concentrate on her right now.  She had a duty.  A duty to protect people, even annoying little sisters.  Never letting her eyes leave the crazed man, Katniss slipped her purse off her shoulder.  “Prim, get behind me.”

 

The young teen stood, frozen in fear.  She didn’t move.  Prim just stared at the man, terror shining in her eyes. 

 

Luckily, Katniss was able to get over to her sister and shove her behind her.  Thank goodness.  That meant Katniss could focus all of her attention on keeping them safe.  The problem was, how to keep Prim from finding out about her secret identity.  Maybe she could knock the knife out of the dude’s hand and they could take off like a bat out of hell?  That would require Prim to actually run, and unfortunately her sister’s panic response was to stand there like a statue.  Why couldn’t she have a flight response instead of a freeze response?  It’d be so much more useful.  Still, she couldn’t let herself get distracted. 

 

Katniss started to swing her purse when a male voice called out, “Hey!  Get out of here!”

 

The crazy man’s head whipped to his left, staring at the other dude.

 

“Go on!  Get!  Don’t make me call the cops on you.”

 

The voice sounded familiar.  Katniss hazarded a glance to see who their would-be-rescuer was.  It was her mom’s partner, Dr. Gloss Benjamin.  The pediatrician was puffed up menacingly, showing off his almost bodybuilder physique.

 

As if he suddenly realized he was outnumbered, the panhandler took off running, weaving his way through a crowd of people who’d just stopped to stare at the confrontation.  A bunch of worthless looky-lous.  Not one of them had offered to help.

 

Feeling her shoulders start to untense, Katniss turned to Gloss.  “Thanks for the assist.”  She could have taken Mr. Crazy Pants, but at least this way she wasn’t in danger of exposing her secret identity to the whole world.  

 

“No problem.  I figured your mom would have my head if I let you girls get hurt.”

 

Katniss glanced behind her to her sister.  The girl was staring at the young doctor, stars sparkling in her eyes.  The only thing that would make it worse, Katniss thought with a groan, would be if Prim channeled her inner melodramatic damsel in distress.  

 

“My hero!”

 

Yup.  It was worse.

 

**oOo**

 

“And so then, big bad Dr. Benjamin swoops in to save the day!” Katniss explained to Peeta, gesticulating with one hand to accentuate her point.  “You would think he was riding a freaking unicorn pooping rainbows everywhere, according to my sister.”  The two were patrolling through one of Panem’s many cemeteries.  Although that might be a little generous.  The baker was patrolling.  Katniss was ranting.  

 

“So I take it Prim’s got a crush?” he asked, his tone mild.  

 

Katniss paused to stake a newly risen vampire in the chest.  “Oh yeah.  A big one.  It’s so annoying!  I mean, first off, he’s like super old.  And second, he works with our mom.  Talk about awkward!”

 

Peeta glanced away.  “Yeah, I suppose that is kind of a big age difference.”

 

He sounded dejected.  Katniss replayed their conversation in her head.  “I didn’t mean it like that.  It’s just… she’s my baby sister.  Yesterday she was playing with Barbies.  Today she’s all ‘I want to have Dr. Benjamin’s babies!’”

 

“You’re exaggerating.”

 

“No really, I’m not!  Prim’s still got her Barbie dreamhouse!”

 

“And you’re so much more mature than she is?”

 

Katniss shrugged.  “I’m the Slayer.  I left childhood behind a long time ago.”

 

Peeta paused, reaching out to take her hand.  “When were you called?”

 

“February.”

 

“That’s less than a year ago.”

 

“It feels like a lifetime ago.”  Katniss stared off into the distance.  “I mean, last year I was dreaming about seeing ‘N Sync in concert, and wondering if Pike was gonna ask me out.  Now I have to think about how to hide blood from my mom and whether or not I’m gonna be kicked out of yet another school.”

 

“I’m sorry.”  His thumb stroked her hand, sending little shivers of pleasure up her arm.  “You didn’t ask for it, but, if it makes you feel any better, I don’t think I’ve seen a better Slayer.”

 

“Thanks.”  She pulled her hand away, turning to stake the vampire that was sneaking up on them.  “It’s just… it’s hard, you know.  I’d like to do something normal for once and not worry about creatures of the night interrupting my dates!”

 

“So this is a date?”

 

Katniss rolled her eyes.  “It’s not a date.”

 

A lily appeared out of her peripheral vision.  “It could be, if you want.”

 

She turned to see him holding a flower out toward her.  “Did you just pick that up from one of the graves?”

 

Peeta had the decency to look embarrassed.  

 

“That’s kind of creepy.  Sweet, but creepy.”

 

“I’ll do better next time.”

 

Katniss took the flower and gave it a sniff.  The blossom smelled sweet, but underneath was the odor of death.  She grimaced.

 

“Maybe I can make it up to you.  I know this great all-night coffee shop.”  He looked down at his wristwatch.  “And the band might still be playing.”

 

“Sounds like fun.”

 

“Great.  It’s a date!”

 

“It’s not a date!  What is it with you and trying to make everything a date?  I don’t even really know you!”  She paused mid-rant.  “Besides, you’re like a thousand years older than me.”

 

“Please.  Two hundred and seventy two.”

 

Katniss cocked her head, giving him a look.

 

“If you’re really being technical, I’m only six years older than you.  Not nearly as creepy as Prim and your mom’s partner.”

 

“Oh please.  It’s still illegal in like thirty states, including California.”

 

“It’s not like I’m asking you to have sex with me.  Just a date.  You know, two people.  Talking.  Getting to know each other,” Peeta explained. “I’m kind of old fashioned.  I’m not one of those guys to kiss on the first date.  Or the second.  Or the third.  Or the twenty-fifth.”  He made a face and reconsidered.  “Well, no.  Maybe the twenty-fifth.  But only if the girl wants to.”  He took an unneeded breath.  “So… do you want to?”

 

“Kiss?”  Katniss was confused.

 

“No!  Go on a date.”

 

“But you’re a vampire.”

 

“So good of you to notice.”

 

“And I’m the Slayer.”

 

“And?”

 

“Vampires and Slayers…”  She gestured between the two of them.  “We’ve kind of got that whole mortal enemy vibe going on.”

 

“Yeah, but we’re also Katniss and Peeta.  Two souls looking for a connection.”

 

“That is, quite possibly, the cheesiest thing ever.”

 

“You clearly haven’t tasted my cheese buns.”

 

She tilted her head.  “Is that a metaphor for something?”

 

He smirked at her.  “Stop getting distracted by my buns, Katniss.  You, me, coffee, date?”

 

She sighed, rolling her eyes.  “Fine.  It’s a date.”

 

The smile on his face was as radiant as the sun.

  
**oOo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN:  
> Written: 4/30/16  
> Revised: 6/16/16
> 
> So once again, as is par for the course in our stories, Prim has decided entirely on her own who she’s interested in. We swear that girl has opinions and wants to try to date every single character in the Hunger Games universe. Seriously. 
> 
> Up Next: Part Four -- Partners? Partners!
> 
> Let us know what you think!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Partners?  Partners!

**oOo**

 

Like every other school in America, the week before Thanksgiving Break was one of the most difficult for both teachers and students.  No one really wanted to be there and everyone was distracted in some way, shape, or form.  

 

Unfortunately, being the Slayer made it even harder.  On top of the listlessness in regards to the upcoming holiday, Katniss really didn’t feel like training.  Or patrolling.  Or doing pretty much any of her ‘sacred duty.’  She’d much rather be shopping or hanging out with her friends or flirting with Peeta.  

 

Peeta.

 

She had to admit she was attracted to the souled vampire, even though it went against everything she stood for as a Slayer.  He was funny, kind, smart, and really, really easy on the eyes. 

 

But as much as she wanted to take the whole week off and spend it with Peeta, she had a job to do.  And if she played hooky, well, who knew what would happen?  Maybe this weekend, when her parents went out of town, she could take some time off from her duty and her homework and see her not-quite-boyfriend.  But not right now.

 

Now, she had sacred duty training.  Something that didn’t mix with vampires, souled or not.

 

So when she entered the library after school, she was surprised to see Peeta leaning up against the counter, chatting amiably with her father.  Beside his elbow was a small glowing orb.  “Peeta!  What are you doing here?” she asked, a feeling of dread growing in her stomach.

 

“Hey, Katniss.”  He looked up and flashed her a smile meant only for her.  “I found this and it looked like something you should be aware of.”

 

Mr. Everdeen’s eyes narrowed, observing the whole exchange.  “What makes you say that?”

 

Great.  Her father was in over-protective parent mode.  “He knows, Dad.”

 

“Knows what?”

 

“He knows I’m the Slayer,” she explained patiently.  No need to set him off more.  “He was there the night of the Reaping.  He helped me.”

 

“Ah.  I suppose I should say thank you then.”

 

“No problem,” Peeta replied, smiling at the other man.  “Glad to help.”

 

They didn’t get a chance to talk more because they were joined by Haymitch, Madge, and Gale. 

 

“Will this week ever end?” Haymitch asked, pulling his ever-present flask out of his jacket pocket.  “I need a drink.”

 

“Should you really have that on school grounds?”  Madge gave him a look.

 

“Yes, absolutely, I should have this school grounds.  How else would I get through the day teaching you monsters?”

 

“I’d take offense to the whole monster thing, but I kind of agree with you.”  Gale dropped his backpack by the counter.  It landed with a loud thump.  “Would you be willing to share?”

 

“And contribute to the delinquency of a minor?”  Haymitch passed him the flask.  “Sure.”

 

Mr. Everdeen reached across the counter and plucked the flask from the teen’s hands before he could take a drink.  “You know I can’t condone this, Haymitch,” he said, handing it back to the other man.

 

Haymitch took a swig, then tucked it back into his pocket.  “Sorry kid, looks like you’re outta luck.  So,” he said, turning to the Slayer, “ready to have your ass handed to you?”

 

“Um… what would happen if I said I have other plans?”

 

“I suppose I’d tell you to cancel ‘em.”

 

Katniss groaned.  “I don’t see why we have to do this here.  Wouldn’t the gym make more sense?”

 

“It would, but I don’t think you feel like explaining to the cheerleaders why the gym teacher’s kicking your butt.”

 

“Fine,” she said, moving away from the counter and slipping into a ready stance.

 

The older man tossed her a foam spear, then stood across from her, his arms crossed over his chest, waiting.  “Whenever you’re ready, sweetheart.”

 

Katniss launched into an attack, trying to overpower the older man.  Haymitch countered, and the sparring session was on.

 

“Is this normal?” Peeta asked, watching the Watcher and Slayer go at it.

 

“Yes.”  Mr. Everdeen winced when Haymitch jabbed the tip of his spear into his daughter’s knee.

 

“So… he trains her in front of strangers?”

 

Mr. Everdeen shrugged.  “He’s not the most conventional Watcher.”

 

Peeta looked at the fighters.  “I would say not.  Does he even know I’m here?”

 

Haymitch blocked an overhead swing from Katniss and turned to look at the two men.  “Noticed you, saw you had a mystical thingy, figured you were here seeking help of the researchy kind, which makes you Sir Not My Problem.”  He turned back to his Slayer.  “You’re telegraphing your moves, sweetheart.  Knock it off.”

 

Katniss lashed out with a snap kick, which Haymitch easily deflected.  “See, that?  Knew it was coming.”

 

“You have got to be the most annoying Watcher in the history of ever!”

 

“He’s right, Katniss.  You are telegraphing your moves,” Peeta spoke up.  “You keep dropping your shoulder and every time you throw a kick, you do this little hitch thing.”  He demonstrated, rolling his shoulders.

 

“I don’t need this from you too,” Katniss snapped.  

 

Peeta held up his hands in defeat.

 

“Why is it I can take out super-powered vamps but one drunken gym teacher gives me trouble?”

 

“Because I fight smart, not hard.  Now try again.”

 

The two resumed their sparring while the rest of the group turned their attention to the mystical glowing orb.  Well… not all of the group.  Madge was regarding Peeta with an expression of intense concentration.

 

The vampire shifted slightly under her gaze, giving her his profile. 

 

Madge snapped her fingers.  “That’s where I remember you from!  From the Arena!  You were the one who helped in Katniss’s fight!”

 

Peeta nodded and glanced at her, then looked back at Katniss.  “Yeah, that was me.”

 

“You don’t go to school here, do you?” Gale asked.  “I don’t think I’ve seen you around.”

 

“No, I’m not in school.”

 

Mr. Everdeen frowned.  “Why not?”

 

“Because I work in my family’s business.”

 

“Surely you could attend school if you wanted to.  Gone are the days when child labor was more accepted.”

 

“I’m a bit old for high school anyway.”  Peeta shrugged.  “And there doesn’t really seem a point to going to college.  I already know my future.”  Peeta never took his eyes off of Katniss.

 

“So… what are your intentions towards my daughter?” Mr. Everdeen asked, leaning forward on the counter.

 

“That’s up to Katniss.”

 

“No, that’s up to me.”  The man’s voice was hard.  “You do realize my daughter is only fifteen.”

 

From the floor, Katniss bristled, allowing Haymitch to sweep her legs out from underneath her.

 

“Pay attention.  Distractions’ll get you killed.”

 

Katniss countered, kicking out Haymitch’s knee, causing Haymitch to land flat on his back.  “You were saying, old man?”

 

Haymitch cackled, rising up onto his elbows.  “Looks like I actually got a fighter in this Slayer.  Who’d’a thunk it?”

 

Katniss sprung to her feet and glared at her father.  Her father glared right back.

 

Madge and Gale stared as the silent battle of wills took place between the two Everdeens while Haymitch slipped over and offered Peeta his flask.  

 

Peeta waved it away.  “Look, we’re friends.  And nothing says we have to start dating right now.  I’m willing to wait.”

 

Katniss tore her eyes from her father and gave Peeta an incredulous look.  

 

He held up his hands.  “What?  I am.”

 

Haymitch snorted.  “Heard that line before.”  He paused, taking a sip.  “Said it a couple times.  We both know it’s a lot of codswallop.”

 

“I am not letting you date my fifteen year old daughter.”  

 

Katniss opened her mouth to protest.

 

“And that’s final,” Mr. Everdeen said, holding up one finger.

 

She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.  “Fine.”

 

“I can respect your rules, Mr. Everdeen,” Peeta said, “but I’d still like to be your daughter’s friend and training partner.”

 

Both Watchers turned their full attention to him.  To his credit, Peeta refused to squirm under the weight of their combined gazes. 

 

“What makes you think you’d be a better training partner than me, boy?”  Haymitch was the first to break the silence.

 

“How about I’m younger than you?  Stronger.  And these two can vouch that I can hold my own in a fight against vampires.”

 

“He’s right, Mr. Abernathy,” Madge told him.  “He’s a really good fighter.  Almost better than Katniss.”

 

Gale shook his head.  “He’s not almost better than her.  He is better than her.  At least in hand to hand.  Doubt he could beat her with a bow.”

 

“Where’d you get your trainin’?” Haymitch wanted to know, his grey eyes never leaving the blond’s face.

 

“Here and there.  Wrestling, martial arts.  I’ve been training most of my life.”  Peeta smiled wryly.  “My family insisted on it.”

 

“Probably wise, considering you’re livin’ on a Hellmouth.  Alright,” Haymitch said, taking a step back.  “Come at me, boy.  Show me what you got.”

 

Peeta did.

 

**oOo**

 

The grand reopening of the Arena wasn’t grand and it was barely an opening, Katniss thought to herself as she surveyed the club.  It could’ve been because it was a Monday night, or it could’ve been because the late autumn California skies decided to open up and blast everyone with an unexpected downpour.  A few hearty, mostly tone-deaf, souls had ventured out to partake in karaoke and the half-priced drink specials.  Although the Slayer wished they’d stayed home.  Still, she shouldn’t complain too much.  

 

“Man, I can’t believe it’s raining.  On tonight of all nights!” Katniss groaned, flopping her head back against the high backed booth.  “I could use the stress relief of a good slay!”  Okay, just because she shouldn’t complain didn’t mean she wouldn’t.  

 

Madge took a sip of her drink.  “I suppose you could always try slaying in the rain?”

 

“And ruin my shoes?” Katniss said, holding up a pair of boots.  They were a chocolate brown suede with a chunky heel.  “Please, my mom would have a fit.”

 

“I suppose you could always try slaying in the rain,” Gale echoed.  He started humming, one of his fingers tapping against the table.

 

Katniss glared at him.  “Thanks for the suggestion, Gene Kelly.  Think I’ll pass.”

 

Gale shrugged.  “Up to you.”

 

“So what’s got you all ‘grrr, I need to kill things’?”  Madge stirred her water. 

 

“My dad.  Did you hear him today?  ‘What are your intentions with my daughter?’” she mimicked her father’s deeper tones. “‘Don’t even think about dating my daughter, young man!’  I mean, it’s not like I want to date Peeta anyways, but who’s he to tell me who I can and cannot date?”

 

Madge started to raise her hand.  “Um, Katniss, he’s your Watcher and he’s your father.  Kind of a one two punch right there.”  Her tone was apologetic.

 

But her point was well made, even if Katniss didn’t want to admit it.  “Yeah, well, it’s still my decision who and when I get to date.  I mean,” she motioned at Gale, “you dated Delly for, what, forever?”

 

“Yeah, pretty much.” A spasm of pain crossed Gale’s features.  “But me and Delly were different.  Pretty sure the guy you got the hots for falls into the ‘too old for you’ category.”

 

Katniss glared at Gale.

 

The boy refused to back down.  “What?  Am I the only one who sees anything wrong with a high school student dating someone who’s clearly in their twenties?”

 

If only he knew.  Upping her glare from icy to daggeriffic, Katniss crossed her arms over her chest.  “Thanks for the lecture, Gale.  It makes me feel so much better after the one I got from Dad earlier today.”

 

He put a hand on her shoulder.  “Tell you what.  I’ll make it up to you.  Fuzzy navel?”

 

“Isn’t that alcoholic?”

 

“Pretty sure Caesar’s got a non-alcoholic version.”

 

“Wouldn’t that be just orange juice?” Madge pointed out.

 

“Why am I not surprised that you know how a fuzzy navel’s made, Madge?”  The icy atmosphere dropped away.

 

The blonde haired girl shrugged.  “They’re pretty popular at my dad’s receptions.  Along with sex on the beach and tequila sunrises.”  She let out a bark of rueful laughter.  “If the drink’s made from California produce, I’m pretty sure I know what goes into it.”

 

“So virgin fuzzy navel… you want one?”  Gale pressed, his lips twitching.  

 

Katniss shook her head.  “Nah, I’ll just stick with coke.  At least I know what’s in it.”  She took a large swig from her glass.

 

“Yeah, cocaine.”

 

And immediately spit the soft drink out.  “Thank you for ruining soft drinks for me, Madge.”

 

“What, I thought you knew what was in it,”  Madge protested, handing her friend a handful of paper napkins.  

 

While she sopped up her mess, the Slayer whined, “Can’t I just have five minutes where people stop playing kick the Katniss?”

 

“Sure,” Madge said, patting her affectionately on the head.  “Why don’t we go look for a song to sing?  You kick ass at karaoke.”

 

Katniss groaned but followed her anyway, leaving Gale with clean up duty.

 

**oOo**

 

The library at Sunnydale High School looked like it’d been through a hurricane.  A hurricane made up entirely of old and dusty books.

 

Seated in the proverbial eye of the storm was Madge, a boxy laptop open in front of her, glaring at the book in her hands like it had personally insulted her.  “Why do you not have a table of contents?  Or an index?”  

 

“I believe the author did not wish for his words to be easily accessed,” Mr. Everdeen answered, even though the question had been rhetorical.  He had a large book open on the table in front of him, which he was paging through.  Every so often, he wrote something in a small book that looked like a diary or a journal.

 

“But why?”

 

He made a note.  “Probably to keep those with nefarious designs from understanding what was within in case the book fell into the wrong hands.”

 

“Well that’s just stupid,” Madge said, getting to her feet, “and annoying.”

 

Mr. Everdeen looked up at her and smiled.  “Well, yes.”

 

She stretched, loud pops and cracks coming from her spine.  “How do you ever find anything?”  

 

“Memory, mostly.”

 

“You mean you’ve read all these books?”  Madge’s eyes drifted from the table to the bookshelves that lined the room.  Then she shook her head in disbelief.

 

“Well, not all of them,” Mr. Everdeen said, his lips still quirked up at the corners.  “I do admit  Sweet Valley High is a bit beyond me.”  He shrugged, turning the page in the book in front of him.  “But it seems popular with the students, so what can you do?”

 

Madge stared at him.  “I don’t know.  Set up a card catalog or something.”

 

“We do have one.”  Mr. Everdeen motioned to the wooden case off to one side without looking up.

 

“Yeah, but are these books listed in there?”  She held up the one she was looking at.  “If I go to magical mystery shiny round thing, will I find books that contain information on the right subjects?”

 

“Unfortunately, no.”

 

Madge sighed and sat back down in her chair, staring up at the ceiling.  “So what you’re saying is that basically this is a needle in a haystack search, and we don’t even have a magnet.”

 

The librarian let out a low bark of laughter.  “That is an accurate way of assessing the situation.”

 

“We’ve got to do something about this.”  Her face and tone resolute. 

 

“Discovering the purpose of the orb?  I agree.”  The orb itself was safely tucked away in his office where the students couldn’t see it, but they still had no idea what it actually was, despite all their research.

 

“No… well, that too.  I mean, we have all of this information,” she gestured at the piles and piles of books, “but by the time we finally find the stuff we need, the apocalypse will be over!”

 

“I take it you have a suggestion?”  Mr. Everdeen set down his pen, giving the girl his full attention.

 

Madge nodded.  “We could scan the books in, and I could write a program that would help us find certain key words.  Like sphere or circle or, hell, Reaping.  That way we could just know which books to even start looking in rather than having to dig through the whole entire library.”  

 

Mr. Everdeen thought about it for a few moments.  “It’s not a bad idea.  But would this program be construed as reading aloud, per se?”

 

“I don’t know.”  She shrugged.  “Maybe?”

 

“The reason I ask is that there are certain books which are fine if read silently, but if read aloud are essentially spell incantations or triggers for certain events.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Mr. Everdeen leaned over and picked up a dark leather bound book.  “Well, this one, for instance.  It has lots of useful information about various demons.  I reference it regularly.  Unfortunately, it also contains a demon trapped within its pages.  Scattered throughout the book are incantations which could release the demon.  I would not recommend reading the book aloud unless you wish to free Moloch from his prison.”

 

“So we don’t scan that book,” Madge agreed with a little shudder.  “But that doesn’t mean we can’t still have it in our database.  We can summarize it, create a table of contents for it.  You say it’s good for knowing about demons?  That’s good enough.  We can list the demons and give the warning, we won’t scan the entire text.  We don’t have to be super specific for each book, just enough to narrow the search.”

 

“Right.  I must admit, it would make researching go much quicker.  My wife isn’t happy with how late I’ve been staying some nights.  I wish…” he trailed off, refusing to finish the thought.  He straightened and regarded his student with a hopeful expression on his face.  “So how long do you think this project of yours will take?”

 

Madge stood up again and looked around her, eyeing the piles upon piles of books.  “Well, it’s not like I have a lot of plans between now and graduation.”

 

**oOo**

 

The night before Thanksgiving, Katniss and Peeta were out patrolling one of Panem’s many cemeteries.  It could have been Memorial Gardens, Gardens Memorial, or Jardines Memorial.  Whichever one it was, Katniss didn’t know and really didn’t care.  She was just grateful that after two days of non-stop rain, she was finally able to get out and exercise a little bit of slay therapy.

 

Peeta followed her, a bemused expression on his face.  “So… I’m guessing you have a little bit of anger to work out.”

 

“You might say that,” Katniss snapped back mid-staking.  The fledgling vampire didn’t even get a chance to climb entirely out of the grave before it exploded into dust.  “It’s just… I must have the world’s worst Watchers in the history of Slayers.  One of them wants to kick my ass, the other wants to prevent me from having any fun.”

 

“I thought that was a hallmark of fathers everywhere.”

 

“Yeah, well, my dad takes the cake.”  Katniss frowned at the pile of dust at her feet.  It was too bad she couldn’t slay it more.  “Most kids can at least go to school to get away from their parents, I have to visit a cemetery to see my boyfriend.”

 

“Am I your boyfriend?” Peeta blurted out, taking a breath he didn’t need.  “When did that happen?”

 

“When my dad thought it’d be a good idea to forbid me from seeing you.”   
  


“So... sending him a thank you note would probably be out of line.”  He wrapped his arms around her and inhaled deeply.

 

“Go ahead and do it.”  Katniss laughed, leaning back into his embrace.  He smelled of freshly baked bread and something warm and sugary.  “I’d find it funny even if no one else did.”

 

“As much as I’d like to, it’s probably not a good idea.  He might forbid me from seeing you altogether, and that’s the last thing I want.”  He tightened his embrace for a moment before releasing her.  

 

Katniss sighed, wishing he hadn’t let her go and that what he was saying didn’t make sense.  “You’re right.  He would.”  She turned and tilted her head.  “When did you get so smart?”

 

“Sometime during the Age of Aquarius.  Ate a flower child and spent a couple days staring at my hand.”  

 

The answer was so quick, so glib, she couldn’t help the little pig snort of laughter.  Oh crap, now she sounded like a farm animal.  What was next?  Mooing?  To cover her embarrassment, she crossed her arms and glared at him.  “You’re making fun of me.”

 

“Maybe.  Got you to laugh--”  Peeta paused and started looking around, his eyes narrow and his whole body tense.  

 

Katniss straightened, automatically slipping into a battle stance.  “What is it?”

 

“I’m not sure,” he answered, still scanning the surroundings.  “Almost felt like someone was watching.”

 

“Vampire?”

 

“Can’t you tell?”

 

“Hellmouth plays wonky with Slayer vamp senses, especially at a distance.”  Katniss shrugged.  “Probably ‘cause there’s so many of them.”

 

“That could be a problem.”

 

“Tell me about it.  I’m gonna have to figure out who’s the living dead by their poor fashion choices and outdated music preferences.  At least until I get used to this place.”  Katniss paused, then asked in a low tone.  “They still watching us?”

 

Peeta shook his head.  “No.  Pretty sure whoever it was is gone.  It’s just…” he trailed off.

 

“Just what?”

 

“Whoever it was, they felt… familiar.”

  
**oOo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN:  
> Written: 6/7/16  
> Revised: 6/21/16
> 
> We always thought it was stupid as fuck that the Buffy characters never actually created an index of what their research books contained. The number of times they did the hunt and peck method of research is insane. The fact that they found anything out at all is a testament to Giles’s memory rather than their amazing research skills. Either that or it was one hell of a Deus Ex Machina. Or Deus Ex Pagina if you will. Oh, and there will be no Moloch episode, because the Moloch episode was filler. Pretty much every episode we write is going to be arc or series relevant. Make of that what you will.
> 
> Up Next: Part Five -- Sibling Rivalry
> 
> Let us know what you think!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Sibling Rivalry

**oOo**

 

The early evening hours of Black Friday were shattered by the sound of two voices raised in argument.  Outside of 1630 Park Lane, a man walking an immaculately groomed Yorkshire Terrier with a pink bow on its head paused, listened for a few moments, then scooped up his dog and hurried away.   

 

“I don’t see why I have to stay home and you get to go out and do whatever!”  The teen’s voice was shrill, colored with frustration.  “For all I know you could be a serial killer and we’d never even know it!”

 

Inside the living room, Katniss scrubbed her hands over her face, trying to keep her temper.  “I am not a serial killer.”  Although if she thought about it, she kind of was.  Except the things she was killing weren’t human and were trying to eat people.  So not the point right now.  She needed to get Prim to settle down from the teenage temper tantrum she was throwing. 

 

“Then why do you go out every night?”  Prim pointed an accusing finger at her sister.  “Don’t think I don’t notice you sneaking out, or Dad staying up to wait for you to come home.  What are you doing?”

 

“None of your business, Prim.”

 

“Does Mom know about this?”

 

“Prim…”

 

“She doesn’t, does she?”  Her sister’s voice was triumphant.  “Dad’s your accomplice!  He’s your serial killing accomplice!”

 

Katniss threw her hands up.  “That’s it, no more Law and Order reruns for you.”

 

“Damn it, Katniss, you’re my sister, not my parents!”

 

“And while Mom and Dad are out of town for the weekend, I’m in charge.”

 

“Yes,” Prim countered, putting her hands on her hips, “and what would they say if they found out you were sneaking off and leaving me all by myself so you could drink and party and… and sleep with boys!”

 

“I am not going out to party!”

 

Prim’s face changed and the blonde girl crossed her arms over her chest.  “Well if you’re going out, I’m going out.”

 

Katniss stared at her sister.  “That’s not how it works.  You are not Hannibal and this isn’t Silence of the Lambs.  We aren’t doing quid pro quo.”  She was never having kids.  Ever.  Babies might be cute but they turned into teenagers.  Teenagers were demons in disguise and as the Slayer she knew demons.

 

Letting out an incoherent noise of teenage rage, her sister stomped her foot and whined, “But Rue’s band is playing at this bar tonight!  And I told her I’d go.  It’s her opening night!”

 

“Well I guess that means you should call her and tell her something came up.”  Katniss was not going to budge.  Her sister did not need to go out, especially not to a bar of all places!  Who knew what could be lurking there?

 

“Yeah, the Wicked Witch of the East.”  She shot Katniss a look and muttered, “I kinda wish someone would drop a house on my sister.”

 

“You know that makes you the Wicked Witch of the West.”  

 

“Yeah, the cool one.”

 

“Whatever.  Prim… I need to go.  The longer we stand here and argue, the longer it’ll take before I get home.”  Katniss sighed and scrubbed at her face.  “Look, when I get back, we can see about going to this bar and watching your friend.  Alright?”

 

Prim shrugged, glaring at her sister.  “Not like I got any choice.”

 

“It’s not safe for you to be out there on your own.  There’s…”  Katniss’s voice trailed off as she struggled to find the right words to say.  It wasn’t like she could tell Prim that there were demons and vampires just waiting to make a snack out of tasty teens.  “Bad people out there.”  That excuse sounded lame, even to her. 

 

“And there’s bad people in here too.”  Prim narrowed her eyes pointedly.  

 

“I don’t have time for this.”  Katniss glanced at the clock, noting it was ten minutes after seven.  “Just… stay here, Prim.  Or else I’ll tell Mom and Dad to ground you until graduation.”

 

“Fine.”  The teen stomped upstairs, slamming the door to her bedroom in rage.  A few seconds later, the Slayer heard the unmistakeable sounds of the Spice Girls filtering through the closed door.  

 

Katniss shook her head.  She wished she could have the worries that her little sister did.  About boys and seeing friends, going out on a weekend.  She wanted to keep her sister innocent for as long as possible.  She missed the old Katniss, who didn’t have to worry about ‘is tonight the night?  Is tonight the night I die?’ every day.  The Katniss whose only concerns were what movie she was going to watch and if she was going to make it to the state archery finals.  

 

She also missed the old Prim, who didn’t go out of her way to push her buttons, who was her best friend.  But ever since Katniss became the Slayer, the two had drifted further and further apart.  These days, almost all of their conversations devolved into arguments.

 

It would take a miracle to mend the rift now.  

 

She thought about her plans for the evening and decided she could patrol tomorrow night, when Prim had plans to sleep over at Rue’s.  Her relationship with her sister was more important.  Maybe hot chocolate and cookies would help.  Chocolate was a miracle, right?

 

Her mission firmly in mind, Katniss headed for the kitchen and hopefully reconciliation.  

 

**oOo**

 

The window to Prim’s room slid open and the girl stuck her head out.  After glancing around to make sure the coast was clear, she shimmied out onto the roof.  Grabbing ahold of the branch of a nearby tree, Prim swung herself down onto the ground, landing with a loud ‘oof’ and muffled ‘whomp’.

 

She paused for a second, her eyes darting to and fro, waiting to see if anybody came to investigate.

 

No one did.

 

After about a minute, she gingerly got to her feet and brushed her hands off on her jeans.  She gave herself a once over, muttering under her breath, “Katniss would kill me if I got dirt on her leather jacket.”

 

Satisfied no permanent damage had been done, the girl hurried off towards town and the bar her friend’s band was playing at.  She didn’t look back.

 

**oOo**

 

Down in the kitchen, Katniss stepped back and surveyed her handiwork.  Two types of cookies, oreos and chocolate chip, were arranged neatly on a plate, with an empty bowl just waiting for vanilla ice cream to go into it for cookie dipping goodness.  Two steaming mugs of hot chocolate complete with multicolored little marshmallows sat next to it, completing the ensemble.  Nothing spells peace offering more than chocolate, Katniss thought to herself with some satisfaction.

 

“Prim?” she called, hoping her sister would hear her over the dulcet tones of ‘Wannabe.’  “Can you come down for a moment?”

 

Silence answered her.

 

Thinking the younger girl was unable to hear her, Katniss went up the stairs and knocked on the door.  “Prim?  It’s me.  I’ve got chocolate.”

 

Again, no answer.

 

Frowning, Katniss tried the door.  It was locked.

 

Giant red alarm bells started going off in the Slayer’s head.  Locked doors were a giant no-no in the Everdeen household.  Even their parents’ door was kept unlocked, which had led to a few traumatizing childhood incidents.

 

Knocking on the door again, Katniss called, “Prim, I know you’re mad at me.  But just because Mom and Dad aren’t here doesn’t mean you get to lock your door!”

 

Only the sound of the Spice Girls singing about two becoming one filtered through the door.

 

Deciding she’d just have to deal with the consequences for the broken lock later, Katniss used her Slayer strength and forced the door open.  She expected to see Prim inside, glaring at her accusingly.  

 

Instead, she was confronted by the angry yellow eyes of her sister’s kitten.  The cat hissed at her before darting downstairs.

 

“Prim?” she said, looking around.  

 

The room was cold, suspiciously cold.  The open window beside the bed told her how.  The question was why.  It didn’t take Katniss long to figure out what her little sister had done.  “Damn it, Prim!” she cursed, whirling away from the room.  “You’d better hope you’re alright.  Otherwise, I’m gonna kill you.”

 

Katniss grabbed her jean jacket, wondering where her favorite brown leather jacket had wandered off to.  She’d have to look for it later.  Right now she had bigger fish to fry.  She slipped a stake into her pocket.  There was no point in arming up too much; it wasn’t like she was going to run into any big bads while tracking down her wayward sister.  She didn’t want to freak out the normals and the vamp population had been eerily quiet the last few days.  Everything would be fine. 

 

Heading outside, she noticed the scuffs in the grass where Prim had landed and footprints indicating the general direction she’d gone in.  She was heading towards town, what there was of it, and Katniss hoped she was heading towards the coffee house or the Arena.  There were other, skeevier bars on the edge of town, some that were even rumored to cater to less than human clientele.  Knowing her luck, her sister was probably at one of those.  She set off, her eyes peeled for any signs of the missing teen.

 

**oOo**

 

An hour later, Katniss still hadn’t managed to find her wayward sister.  The coffee house and the Arena were a bust, as were the first two bars she’d tried.

 

A weaselly guy named Willy at the second bar mentioned that there was an underground bar out near some of the old warehouses at the edge of town.  Kids liked to go there to party and partake in other ‘recreational activities.’  The guy seemed eager to get her out of there, and considering the loose-skinned demon who waved shyly from the corner, she could figure out why.  It was a demon bar.  Slayers definitely not welcome.

 

With that information under her belt, the Slayer headed for the warehouse district.  When she got there, she could see remnants of partying.  Empty solo cups were strewn all about, along with crushed beer cans and other revelling detritus.

 

“You here for the rave?” a man’s voice came from behind her.

 

Katniss whirled, seeing the pudgy form of a rent-a-cop.  “Uh, kinda?  I’m looking for my sister.”

 

“Well, if she was here, she’s not here now.  I chased off about a hundred kids a little bit ago.  Cops are on the way.  They’ll arrest anyone who isn’t supposed to be here.”  He gave her a pointed look.

 

“So I’ll not be here.”

 

“You do that, missy.”  The man turned away, not even bothering to watch her go.

 

Groaning under her breath, Katniss turned for home, when a glow caught her eye.  She wasn’t sure exactly what it was, but something about it seemed familiar.  Mystical.  

 

The Slayer made sure no one was watching before leaping over the chain link fence.  Maybe Prim wasn’t here.  But it looked like something supernatural was.  And supernatural was kind of her raison d'être.

 

She crept forward, her eyes and ears peeled for any signs of an ambush.  It could be nothing or it could be a trap, but wandering into things willy-nilly was not how she’d managed to survive for almost a year as the Slayer.

 

From inside the nearest warehouse, she heard a crash and a woman screaming invectives.  “Where is it, you miserable meatbag?  The sooner you tell me, the sooner all this pain stops!”

 

Well, didn’t that just sound peachy?

 

Katniss pulled her stake out of her pocket, wishing she’d had the foresight to pack something with a little more firepower.  It could be anything, even a human.  For all she knew, she’d stumbled into a recreation of Reservoir Dogs.

 

She glanced back at the glow, but it could wait.  Screechy Woman was more important.  

 

She eased her way into the warehouse, crawling through one of the open windows, careful not to make any sound.  Katniss didn’t know what kind of firepower the woman was packing and, while she could dodge pretty much anything thrown at her, faster than a speeding bullet she was not.

 

Once she was safely inside, she tiptoed to the edge of some haphazardly stacked crates and peered around them.  Stealthy surveillance for the win, she hoped.  

 

Seated in a chair was a man.  A monk, judging by his clothes.  Blood dripped down his face and the only thing keeping him upright were the ropes binding him to the chair.

 

Another rent-a-cop was tied to a pipe nearby, duct tape plastered over his mouth.

 

Great.  Just what she needed.  Two hostages.

 

Standing in front of the monk was a blonde woman, her hair styled in a way reminiscent of 1940s and 50s Hollywood starlets.  Her dress couldn’t have been more out of place in this dingy warehouse: short, pale pink, covered in sequins and crystals.  It hugged her curvaceous form and almost glowed in the dim lighting.  She wore strappy sandals with at least a three inch stiletto heel, but she moved as easily as though she were wearing sneakers.  Katniss was a little jealous.  The woman was pretty, beautiful if Katniss was willing to admit it, but the sneer on her face was monstrous.  

 

The blonde reached out and stroked one finger down the monk’s cheek, opening a new wound in its wake.  “Tell me where the Sheath containing my power is.  And both of our pain and suffering can end.  I can reclaim my former glory and go home.  I won’t be tied to this… place with these… people who don’t recognize my greatness!”  She stabbed the finger down.  “While you can die quickly and painlessly.  It’s win-win!”

 

The monk tilted his head up, fear and hatred gleaming in his dark eyes.  “Just kill me,” he rasped out in an accent Katniss couldn’t identify.  “I will... tell you... nothing.”  The words took effort, more effort than he could really spare.  By the end of his defiance, he was panting for breath.

 

“No!  No!  No!”  The woman backhanded the monk, sending him careening towards Katniss’s hiding place, breaking the chair as he landed.  

 

Katniss watched at the woman stomped around, screaming and kicking and waving her hands in the air.  She was mad.  And definitely not human.

 

“That’s the wrong answer,” the woman said, turning back to the monk.  “You can’t tell me no.  I refuse to accept that.”  Her head was weaving back and forth in time to her pointed finger.  “You’ll tell me where my Sheath is right now, or so help me--”  Her voice cut off and the woman stood stock still, her eyes turned skyward.  “No!  No no no no no!”  She stomped her foot in time with each negative.  “I’m not finished yet!”  Her hands flew to her temples like she had a migraine.  “I won’t let you stop me!”

 

Somehow Katniss didn’t think she was talking to the monk.

 

The woman’s eyes landed on the bound and gagged rent-a-cop.  They brightened.  She stalked over, her high heels clicking ominously against the cement floor.  “Ah, just what I need.  Dinner.”  She stroked the cowering and bound man’s face as if he were her pet.  “You know, my brother always says you make bad decisions on an empty stomach.”  She shoved her fingers into the man’s skull, a sickly glow emanating from them.  After a few seconds, the glow stopped and she pulled her fingers out.  “Turns out the little annoyance is right.”  

 

The guard groaned.

 

She looked down at him.  “Did you know you taste like donuts?”  She cocked her head, waiting for a response.

 

A second muffled moan came from the man.  

 

Realization dawned.  “Oh, silly me, you can’t say anything with that tape on your mouth.”  She ripped it off. 

 

The man let out a scream.  “Monster!  Demon!  Beast!”

 

“Well that’s just rude.”  The blonde’s eyes hardened.  “Be nice now.”  It was a threat.  

 

The guard didn’t care.  He continued to scream like a man possessed.  “So hideous!  Return to hell!  Foul!  Evil!  Ugly!”   

 

The last struck a chord.  The woman screeched, backhanding the bound man.  “Shut up!  Shut up!  Shut up!”   

 

Realizing this was probably her best chance to save at least one of the hostages, Katniss crept around the boxes toward the monk, her eyes never leaving the psycho-bitch.

 

Taking several calming breaths, said psycho-bitch brought herself under control.  “Look at what you made me do!  I almost broke a nail!”  She studied the fingers on her right hand for a moment.  “You clearly don’t know how to talk to your betters.  I oughta teach you a lesson.”  She reached out with both hands and twisted the man’s neck around with an audible snap.  “There!  Lesson learned.”

 

Katniss winced.  There went any chance of saving the rent-a-cop.  But there was still one person she could rescue.  She refocused on the monk.  Reaching his location, Katniss tried to untie him from the remains of the chair.  It was no use.  Without a knife, the knots were too tight.  She didn’t want to risk hurting the man even more than he already was.  

 

The man’s eyes fluttered open, then widened as if he recognized her.  “You must go,” he breathed.  “The Beast... must not get you.”

 

Katniss glanced over her shoulder, noting that the woman was still talking to the now dead rent-a-cop.  “You shouldn’t be here either.”

 

“My time on this earth... is almost finished.”

 

“Yeah, well, it’s not done yet.  Let’s go.”  Katniss gave up on untying him.  Instead, she hoisted the man up, broken chair and all, and started dragging him toward the nearest exit.  

 

They were less than five feet away from safety when she heard an irritated feminine voice from behind her, “And just where are you taking my monk?”

 

“Uh… Ice Capades?”  Katniss winced.  It was the first thing that had come to mind; now she had to run with it.  “Monks really like Ice Capades and we we had tickets for tonight, and you were busy with that other dude, so I thought maybe we could catch the show, make it in time for intermission.”  She sounded like an idiot for sure.  No help for it.  The majority of her brain power was trying to come up with a battle plan.

 

The woman looked at her like she was insane.  “Huh?”

 

“Ice Capades.  It’s all the rage with the monkly sort.”

 

“Do you really expect me to believe that crap?”

 

“It was the hope.  I guess you’re not buying it.”

 

“That would be a giant no.”

 

“So I guess that means we’re gonna fight.”  Katniss knew the blonde was strong; hopefully the Slayer was stronger.

 

The woman sniffed.  “You?  Fight me?  Little girl, do you know who you’re dealing with?”

 

“Reject from Prince’s Diamonds and Pearls concert?”

 

“Oh you bitch!” she snarled.  “I’m gonna enjoy wrapping your intestines around your neck!”

 

“I think you need to get a new hobby.  Maybe something with a little less bedazzling.”  Katniss knew she was pressing the woman’s buttons, but if there was one thing Haymitch had taught her, it was that the angrier you made your opponent, the more distracted they became.  She was counting on it giving her an advantage now.

 

Katniss lowered the monk to the ground and leapt forward.  Her fist made contact with the woman’s cheek and the Slayer stifled a cry of pain.  It felt like she was hitting pure concrete.  In fact, concrete was softer than this sequined disaster’s cheek.

 

“Oh!”  The concrete-faced woman took a step back.  “That almost hurt.  You’ve got power, little one.  Just not enough power.”  The woman’s hand lashed out, swiping Katniss into a nearby support column.

 

The Slayer heard an ominous crack and hoped it wasn’t anything too important.  Like her spine. 

 

“See, little girl, now that’s power.”  The monster stalked toward her, her heels echoing with each step.  “And since you so rudely interrupted,” she kicked the fallen Slayer, “maybe you know where I can find my Sheath.”

 

“Your what?” Katniss asked, breathing shallowly to lessen the pain.  

 

“My Sheath.  For my powers.  Last time I saw it, it was this glowing green ball of energy.  So pretty.  And these… men,” she snarled the word like it was an insult, “stole it from me.  But this little boy,” she sauntered over to the prostrate monk, “is gonna tell me where it is.  Or he’s gonna spend his last few agonizing moments wondering just how many pieces I can break his bones into before he dies.  Let’s find out!”  She lifted her foot and brought it down hard on the man’s hip.

 

The monk screamed.

 

Katniss struggled to her feet, holding her ribs.  She was pretty sure one or two of them were cracked, if not broken.  There was no way she’d be able to take this whatever she was on by herself.  She had to find a way to get herself and the monk out of here.  “Hey, bedazzle bitch!  You and me aren’t done yet!”

 

The woman let out a frustrated groan and rolled her eyes.  “Doesn’t anyone know how to stay down?”  She stomped over.  “Why don’t I put you out of my misery and then I can get back to what I was doing.”

 

Katniss inched around, trying to position herself so she could make a run for it.  

 

“This whole day has been so frustrating.”  The woman punctuated her words with a stamp of her foot.  “I could just kill something.”  She tilted her head.  “And seeing as you volunteered, I guess that means you’re up.”  She brought her foot down again, opening a crack underneath her heel.

 

The crazy woman paused in surprise, regarding the damage.  Almost like she couldn’t resist, she slammed her foot on top of the crack.  It widened into a fissure, swallowing her whole.  

 

It was the opportunity for escape Katniss was looking for.

 

Not bothering to see if she was being followed, Katniss ran for the door, snatching up the injured monk along the way.

 

Behind her, she heard the warehouse collapsing and the bedazzled bitch screaming in frustration.  That noise she’d heard earlier must have been the support column breaking.  The woman’s temper tantrum had caused the whole building to become unstable.

 

Katniss didn’t think a collapsing building would stop crazy-sequin-dress for long, but it would hopefully be long enough for the two of them to get to safety.

 

She reached the edge of the fence and realized there was no way she could go out the same way she came in, by jumping over.  She needed to find a gate.  Unfortunately, none were anywhere in view.  Carefully, she set the man down and said, “Wait here.  I gotta find a way out.”

 

The man looked up at her, his eyes glazed over in pain, and shook his head.  “No.  Save yourself.  Leave... me.  I am... finished.”

 

“I really don’t think you should be arguing with me.”

 

The man coughed, blood tinging his lips.  “I can feel... my life flowing out of me.  You need to protect…”  He coughed again as he tried to breathe.

 

“Protect what?” Katniss asked once he seemed able to speak.

 

“The Sheath.”

 

“What is this Sheath?”

 

The man shook his head.  “No… time.  I have information.  Hidden.”  He motioned feebly to where Katniss had seen the supernatural glow earlier.  “Look for the sphere.  It will... shield you.”  He coughed once more, then let out a final breath.

 

Katniss heard the air rattle in his chest and she knew he was dead.

 

Scurrying back to where he’d indicated, where she’d seen that glow earlier, Katniss rooted around in the discarded garbage.  It didn’t take long to find another of those glowing orb things and a slim leather-bound book.  This must’ve been the information the monk mentioned.

 

Behind her, Katniss heard a rumble coming from the collapsed warehouse.  Somehow, the Slayer suspected it wasn’t falling debris.   Time to make like a tree and leave.

 

Deciding that looking for a gate would take too much time, Katniss threw the sphere and the book over the fence, then hauled herself up, feeling her ribs and side pinch with each movement.  When she reached the other side, she heard sirens approaching and remembered what the rent-a-cop had said: the police were on their way.  The last thing she wanted to do was be discovered near a dead body, not with her record.  The police would blame her.  

 

Clutching the two items to her chest, the Slayer melted away into the night, hoping that wherever her sister was, she was nowhere near this place.

 

**oOo**

 

Katniss limped up onto the front porch of her house, noting the lights were on inside.  She couldn’t remember if she’d left them on before she’d gone out or not.

 

It didn’t matter.  She needed to get inside and take care of her injuries before they got worse or Slayer healing kicked in and they healed incorrectly.  If Prim wasn’t home, she’d have to find her sister later.

 

As soon as she opened the door, Prim’s voice called out, “Katniss?  Is that you?”  The younger teen sounded worried.

 

Katniss felt her shoulders untense a little.  Prim was safe, and home.  At least that was one worry down.  Glancing at the grandfather clock in the hall, she noted it was almost one am.  It had taken her over three hours to walk home from the warehouse.  No wonder her sister sounded upset.  “Yeah, it’s me.”  Even talking hurt.  

 

The pain must’ve come through in her voice, because Prim hurried into the hall, her face a study in concern.  “What happened to you?”

 

“Went looking for you.”

 

Prim’s eyes darted from Katniss’s face to her torn and stained clothing.  “Looks like you got your ass handed to you.”

 

“Language... and pretty much, yeah.”

 

“What happened?”

 

“Like I said, went looking for you.  Stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time.  Got jumped.”  Katniss had come up with a plausible lie during her long trek home in case she ran into anyone she knew.  “The thugs beat me up and stole my wallet.  While they were distracted, I managed to get away.  Spent the last three hours walking home.”

 

“Oh Katniss I am so so sorry!  At least tell me you got a few hits in?”

 

“I was pretty much concentrating on not dying.”  Katniss gave her sister a look.  “Promise me, Prim, you won’t sneak out like that again.  There are dangerous people out there.”

 

Prim crossed her arms.  “I could say the same thing about you.”

 

“I don’t think I’m gonna be going out alone again anytime soon.”  Katniss grimaced, holding a hand to her aching ribs.  “You think you can help me upstairs to my room?”

 

“Of course!  Sure!  Is there anything else I can do?”

 

“I could really go for some hot chocolate right now.  Maybe a little sisterly bonding time.”

 

Prim looked away from her, abashed.  “I noticed the mugs sitting out on the counter when I got home.  I’m sorry, I kind of ate the oreos.”

 

“They were for you anyway.”

 

“I left you the chocolate chip.” It was hopeful.  A peace offering.

 

Katniss would take it.  Managing a wan smile, the Slayer murmured, “Thanks, Prim.  You’re the best sister anyone could ask for.”

  
**oOo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN:  
> Written: 6/11/16  
> Revised: 6/23/16
> 
> So you may have noticed a few things… First off Prim and Katniss. Again we know they’re not in character in regards to the Hunger Games. We’re taking more here from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Buffy and Dawn’s relationship at the beginning of Season Five. Things will change. Become more like you’re used to. But this Prim and Katniss also have the liberty and freedom to have sibling rivalry, not to mention they’re a lot closer in age. 
> 
> Secondly, those of you who are familiar with Buffy may have figured out that we’re not going with the exact story arc of Buffy. This is deliberate. We have opinions on Buffy. Strong opinions. We like it, but there are filler episodes and plots that don’t always make sense. So we’re changing those things. Besides, it would be boring to read rehashes of the same exact thing. So what you think you know about BVTS, take it, throw it out, because FanficAllergy and RoseFyre are gonna play. 
> 
> Up Next: Part Six -- Wonderful Tonight
> 
> Let us know what you think!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Wonderful Tonight

**oOo**

 

The interior of Katniss’s room looked like a bomb had exploded.  A clothing bomb.  Garments were strewn everywhere.  On the floor, on the back of the desk chair, at the foot of the bed, and in one memorable instance, hanging from one of the wall sconces.

 

Seated cross legged in the middle of the bed was Prim, her hair done up in two braids, watching her older sister scurry around with amusement.  “So tell me about this guy.”

 

“Peeta?”  Katniss paused, looking at a pair of acid washed jeans.  “Well, he’s older.  Um.  Helps run his family business.  Really cute.  He’s got arms.  They’re good arms.”

 

“Uh huh.  That doesn’t tell me a whole lot.  Or help me dress you.”  She paused, a playful twinkle in her eye.  “Besides, I’ve already seen what he looks like, remember?  Dinner?  I already know he’s full of twinkie goodness.  If you weren’t all ‘grr mine!’ I might consider crushing on him.”

 

“Oh my God!  Please stop talking!  Or at least change the subject!”

 

Prim laughed.  “Okay, fine.  So… where are you going?”

 

Thankful that her sister wasn’t talking about Peeta’s hotness anymore, Katniss turned back to her closet.  She liked green.  Maybe she should wear green.  “He’s taking me to see Annie Get Your Gun at UC Panem.”  She pulled a green sweater out and eyed it with distaste.  Too Christmassy.  It got tossed on the already overfull bed.  “And then we’re doing coffee and dessert afterwards.”

 

Prim frowned.  “So what you’re telling me is that you have to find that perfect outfit that’s dressy enough for a show but casual enough for coffee.”

 

“Nailed it.  Doesn’t help that he’s been everywhere and done everything.”  Katniss held up a shiny blue tank top, then shook her head and chucked it behind her.  It hit the window before falling to the floor.

 

“Was he in the military or something?”

 

“Or something.”  For all she knew, Peeta’d been in the military.  They had a military back in the Eighteenth Century, right?

 

“‘Cause I’d suggest going naked,” Prim continued, her tone teasing, “but he’s probably seen that.”

 

Katniss blushed, thinking that Peeta probably had seen naked women before.  He was over two hundred and fifty years old.  It’d be a little weird if he were still a virgin.  She sighed internally.  He’d seen so many things, done so many things, why was he interested in a girl like her?  She rubbed her arms, more to comfort herself than because she was cold.

 

“You should probably wear something long sleeved,” Prim suggested, looking at her sister’s still healing arms.  “I’m just glad that cut you got on your face healed.  You would’ve looked really weird with half your face covered by your hair.”

 

Katniss nodded, thinking she was definitely not the Jessica Rabbit type.  She didn’t have the cleavage for one.  She wasn’t animated for another.  “It wasn’t too bad.  And neosporin does wonders.”

 

“You’re just lucky you didn’t break anything when you got jumped.”  Prim played with one of Katniss’s pillows.  “Have I mentioned I’m still really sorry about that?”

 

“Not in the last five minutes.  But yeah, I’m lucky nothing got broken.”  Katniss hated lying to her sister, but there was no way she’d be able to explain the whole Slayer gig to Prim.  

 

Being the Slayer really sucked sometimes.  

 

She’d given the book and glowing orb thing to her father to research.  Her dad was rightfully concerned about this new player on the Hellmouth.  He and Haymitch were spending most of their time trying to figure out who this woman was and what the hell the Sheath could be.  It didn’t help that the book, in addition to being written in Ancient Greek, also appeared to be in some sort of code.  Madge was working on a program to aid them, but even with the added computer help, it was slow going.

 

“I’m pretty sure that shirt’s a no go.”  Prim’s voice sounded amused.  “Not really sure why you’ve been considering it for so long.”

 

Katniss realized she’d been staring at a leopard print tank top.  “So what would you suggest?” she asked to cover the fact that she’d been spacing.

 

“Here.”  Prim clambered off the bed and started rooting around in the various clothing piles, assembling an outfit.  First up were a pair of black knee high heeled boots, followed by a short burgundy skirt and white tank top.  “Excuse me.”  She pushed her sister to the side and snagged the last bit of the ensemble, a black crocheted sweater top.  “There.  That’s an outfit guaranteed to make any boy’s heart skip a beat.”

 

That was assuming his heart actually beat, but her sister had a point: the outfit was pretty kick ass.  “Thanks, Prim.  It looks good.”  Katniss pulled off her t-shirt and put the tank top on.

 

“So what’d Mom and Dad have to say about your date?” 

 

“They think I’m going to Madge’s to hang out and watch movies.”

 

Prim crossed her arms.  “Ah.  So you’re sneaking out.”

 

“Um, yeah.”

 

“So it’s a secret.”  Prim’s eyes gleamed.

 

“Um, yeah.”

 

“And I’m guessing you want me to cover for you.”

 

“Um, yeah.”

 

Prim looked her sister up and down, taking a moment before replying.  “Fine.  It’s a deal.  But you gotta tell me everything about him, and I do mean everything.”

 

Relief flooded through the Slayer.  Her secret, or one of them, was safe.  “Thanks, Prim.”

 

“What would you do without me?”

 

“Let’s hope I never have to find out,” Katniss murmured, giving Prim a hug.

 

**oOo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN:  
> Written: 6/11/16  
> Revised: 6/23/16
> 
> Just as a reminder, all of this takes place in the late nineties. Which means you get nineties fashion. Considering both of us were in high school/college during this time we still have some of the fashions in our closets and remember what was “in” pretty damn well. Yay crochet tops, leopard print, and chucks. 
> 
> Next Episode: Over the Rainbow - Katniss learns about the Sheath just in time for Christmas.
> 
> We look forward to seeing what you think: don’t forget to leave a comment on your way out!


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